Don't Jump
by MineralRabbit
Summary: A run-of-the-mill boring night for Angel suddenly turns when he spots someone on the roof ledge of an appartment building - they're going to jump-!


Angel kept his eyes peeled for trouble as he drove through LA, though so far it had been a remarkably quiet night and Doyle hadn't had any visions for over a week. Still, there had to be some trouble, there was always trouble in the city, always a crime occurring somewhere. Angel just had to find it. He would sniff it out if he had to stay out there all night, no problem for a vampire of course.

Although, he was getting seriously bored. It wouldn't do any good if someone needed help tomorrow but he couldn't help because he was too tired from roaming around all night when nothing was happening. Yeah, he should definitely turn around and get some shut-eye; goodness knows Cordelia wouldn't let him sleep in, not when she wanted to work like a normal human in the daytime. Yes, Angel definitely needed to go home. He knew he had some O negative in the fridge that he could reheat and possibly soak some bread in.

The tires of Angel's car screeched as he swerved dramatically for no discernable reason, other than it looked really cool to anyone who may have been watching and he could always do with more customers – even those with problems of the un-supernatural kind. However, his tires screeched again as he came to a sudden halt less than a few seconds later as he looked up.

On the roof of a six storey apartment block, someone was there, on the ledge, walking along and looking down at the street, at the cars, at him.

Angel muttered a curse as he leapt out of the open roof of his car and darted into the alleyway beside the building – that human was going to jump! With unnatural strength he leapt up to the fire escape and continued to rush up the shining metal steps of which there suddenly seemed to be so many. He didn't feel like he was getting any closer to the roof!

Had he been human, he would have panted for breath by the time he got there and had it snatched away as he saw the young woman on the ledge on the opposite side of the roof. It was instinct that made him shout out "DON'T!" as if it would work.

She jumped.

Not over the edge, but the small startled jump that one gives when a huge, darkly dressed man appears from nowhere and yells at you. She whirled on him with a hand over her heart, feeling her pulse rushing as he slowly approached but kept a few feet between them. "Christ, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Don't do it," Angel repeated at a more normal decibel.

"Don't what?" She sounded incredibly annoyed. "Call the police because of some big creepy guy shouting at me?"

"There's plenty to live for, you don't need to do this," Angel was making this up - having never dealt with anyone suicidal before, he tried to remember lines from any movies he'd seen when a character tried to off themselves.

"Are you threatening me?" She couldn't help but suddenly feel a little nervous – what if this guy attacked her? She wouldn't stand a chance. "I was joking about calling the cops, we can both just leave and continue with what we were doing-"

"That's not going to happen."

"Please, don't - I- I don't- Why?" Her nervousness was becoming fear, the stories she'd heard about girls being mugged, attacked and raped coming to the surface of her mind.

"I can't leave you up here," he shrugged, moving forward ever so slightly. She looked behind her; she couldn't see herself getting past him and her only other option was the six storey drop. Not a lot of choice there. Angel watched her with growing apprehension.

"Please, please just leave me here; I was just trying to get some peace!" She cried to her would-be attacker in case he did have a human side.

"This isn't the way to do it," Angel fiddled with his sleeves. She was only getting more edgy – he cursed his brain's choice of words – he needed to communicate with her and get her to relax. "My name is Angel, would you mind telling me yours?"

She gulped, unsure what to make of this new development. "Lucile, I'm Lucile."

"Don't you have any family or friends, Lucile?" She only nodded. "Wouldn't they miss you if you were gone?" Oh god – he was taunting her! He was going to rape and kill her and he was taunting her with it! Lucile could feel the tears starting to form, trying hard not to let them fall. She didn't want to spend her left few minutes on this earth crying. She wanted to be strong.

"They'll catch you," her voice wavered.

"What?" Angel didn't hide his surprise.

"The police," her voice was stronger now at hearing him caught off guard. "I know that my family won't rest until they find my murderer, you'll be in prison for life!"

There was a long moment in which Lucile and Angel looked at each other, one with determination in the face of her own mortality, the other with utter confusion.

"What?" Angel said slowly. "I'm not- I'm not here to hurt you." She didn't seem to believe him. "I'm here to save you."

"Yeah, I get it _Angel_ – you're here to save me from the dark cruel world? How many people have you 'saved'?"

"Some people, not a lot we're just starting out really, but usually it's a lot weirder than someone jumping off a building," he rambled and now it was the girl's turn to be confused.

". . . What?"

"You – committing suicide and all – I really don't think it's a good idea, like I said, your friends, family, maybe a dog if you have one – they'll miss you. You shouldn't jump." He finished. She stared at him, wide eyed and, with all the force of a mouse's sneeze, she began to giggle, her shoulders shaking, until her laughter finally burst in an eruption of relief and amusement. The tears in her eyes were now those of happiness and she stepped down from the ledge clutching her stomach.

"You thought I was going to jump?"

"Weren't you? I don't see what's so funny about this."

"You thought I was going to jump and I thought you were going to kill me and we're not!" She descended into laughter again. "Oh, that's good, that's good, we both assumed I was about to die and I'm not, oh, ohh," she gasped for breath as her laughter began to die down and she couldn't stop grinning.

"You thought I was going to-?" He stopped at her nodding. "Well, it's good to know you're not going to jump and that I look like some kind of homicidal murderer."

"It's okay, I mean, once you get past the dark, brooding outside. You're really sweet to have come up her to save me. Thank you."

"Uh, no problem, I guess, um, I better get going," Angel hurried away, his long back coat billowing behind him as he rushed off. Lucile smiled at the terrifying misunderstanding on both their parts. Her first night in the city had been one she was not likely to forget and her smile didn't fade as she turned back to the ledge and the view she had been admiring before her would-be saviour had come along.

"Good to know someone out there cares."


End file.
